Goodbye Friends: Swapzaar is closing down (for now).

Hey everyone, it's been so long!

Life has been busy and very tough; unfortunately we are going to have to close down Swapzaar.
Swapzaar in it's current avatar simply isn't working.
It was a great idea, but we don't have the funds to scale the business.
We also couldn't raise funds - we failed to convince investors that Swapzaar was an idea worth investing in!!

  :-(

Of course, when we had to face facts back in December 2016 we were really heart-broken, angry and sad because we felt so many useless startups got easily funded when the boom time was on (2012/2013/2014) and just when we started looking for funds everything just came crashing down...but then as we looked around we realised- maybe it was a blessing in disguise.


As you might have read, the funding scenario in India is undergoing some tectonic changes.
These large changes started in 2015, right around the time we started looking for funds, and are still happening! (Flipkart, Snapdeal, Ola and may more are under scrutiny and are being evaluated for soundness and their valuations are being slashed). Investors are wary of investing in new startups in the eCommerce space given that these large giants have failed to pay off as expected. It's always a bad idea to get a jittery investor on-board who doesn't really get your idea/vision and just wants 50X returns ASAP.

It's not a wasted effort; it's been an incredible journey of 5 years (this June we'll be officially 5) since we registered the company, and started building Swapzaar.
We have learnt so much along the way (mostly what not to do).

On the bright side, we founders are now free to move on with our other projects; there are some other fashion related business ideas we have wanted to explore in the past; we might try those- who knows?

But the overall focus on fashion stays; and we might even get back to vintage and pre-owned luxury fashion at some point...we don't know.

Meanwhile we will also stop posting on this blog regularly.
We might put up a mini fashion-related post once in a while till we are ready to totally close it down.

Thanks for your love and support; if and when we start something new we shall definitely post it here!

The future is wide open.

Bizarre fashion Laws from around the world- Infographic by swapzaar.com

Here are some strange fashion related laws from across the world.

No trousers in Paris?
The law was put into existence in 1800 and revoked only in 2013!!
It was modified in 1892 and 1909 to allow women to wear trousers if they were "holding a bicycle handlebar or the reins of a horse".
Incredible, isn't it?

Apparently, this law is one of the most flouted laws in the world :-D is anyone surprised?

Bizarre fashion laws swapzaar infographic 122014 from veena srinath


How about you, do you know of any actual laws about fashion, that existed once (or still exist) that seem bizarre and unbelievable?

Comic strip by swapzaar- war of the roses no1

War of the roses is a comic strip based on the archetypal rivalry between two very different type of young girls in college.Think Jenny Humphrey VS Blair, there is a bit of envy, friendship and rivalry involved.

Ultimately who wins in life depends on talent, determination and a pinch of luck.
We are going to chart the course of these two girls- Ritu and Gurleen, through their college years to see how they fare.

If swapzaar were betting on one of these girls, guess who it would be?

And, who would you bet on?


 Made using bitstrips.

War of roses no 1 comic strip by swapzaar from veena srinath


swapzaar.com is India's first dedicated online marketplace for pre-owned fashion.
So if you have fabulous gently used fashion items sitting unused in your wardrobe right now, register on swapzaar and list it there.
We will help you find fashion lovers who will pay a good price and really value your pre-loved stuff.
We already have brands like Coach, CK, Aldo, Mango, Guess, Zara, Forever Newm, Vero Moda, Accessorize and more being uploaded by our early members! 

Shopaholix Redemption- a comic strip by swapzaar

Here is a cool (hopefully) comic strip we created for swapzaar.com using bitstrips.com

Bitstrips is remarkably sophisticated for a free tool and you can use it to create various characters and
comic strips to tell your brand story. The best part is it's as easy (if not more easy) than powerpoint so
now you have yet another option to tell your story in a funny and engaging way without coming
up with vague excuses like "I am not a graphics person".

That was our very first attempt, so we hope you enjoyed it, we plan to come up with a shopahlix redemption
series, something that feels like a cross between SATC, The Devil  wears Prada and Confessions of a shopaholic...

We also plan a funny mini video series which will be more like a story evolution game", where we will ask for your ideas on how the story should evolve and then grow it along those lines.

How fun is storytelling?
BTW, here is a great article on the 7 basic types of stories...

Write in with your thoughts and let us know what sorts of stories you enjoy.
We like the David and Goliath theme ( as would most startup owners we presume ;-P )

How to price your item on swapzaar: We use a special store credit system.

Swapzaar uses a special store credits system and we have our own currency called "buttons".
Each button is equal to Rs. 100/-.

When you first join swapzaar you get 5 buttons for free. And later if you wish you can buy more buttons from us using our regular payment options (Debit cards, Credit cards, Online Banking etc).

The system is simple, when you sell you earn buttons and when you buy you can use these stored buttons to buy whatever you like on swapzaar.

We feel this is a great advantage, since it encourages people to save and en-cash their buttons only when they are eligible to do so.

Once you have 50 buttons, you can request an encashment, at which point we deduct 10% as platform fee and transfer the rest to you in DD/Cheque format or to a bank account of your choice.

The pricing of your items, isn't in rupee terms and you will have to price your listed item in buttons.
So let's say you expect Rs 1000/- for an item inclusive of shipping costs, you simply price it at 10 buttons.

Here is a simple infographic that explains everything very easily. It will help you become a confident seller on swapzaar and get the best deals.

Swapzaar infographic 2 how to price your item from veena srinath


We would love to hear your take on ewallets and store credits, do you like using them?
Or do you prefer using cards directly?

How to click pictures that sell : the essentials of successful listings on swapzaar

Pictures are very important if you want your pre-loved fashion listing to come across as genuine and worthy of the price you expect.

No one wants to see rumpled "rummage sale" pieces.
You have to make sure the item looks like someone would want to own and flaunt it, after all you loved it and wore it too- remember?
Pay a little attention to your pictures and descriptions, and you will become a successful seller on swapzaar.
Swapzaar, as you might know, is a self-regulating community, which means over time member feedback will affect your reputation and having a good reputation will be very important if you want to sell your items at great prices.

Here are some genuine tips from us on how to click pictures that sell.

Putting pictures on swapzaar infographic 3 from veena srinath


Hope you find this useful!
Do write in with your tips and tricks for better product photography, with or without models!

swapzaar user profiling: what's your fashion persona and why you should be on swapzaar!

Hey as you all know we just launched swapzaar.com, India's first dedicated online marketplace for
 **pre-owned** fashion.  So if you have fabulous gently used fashion items sitting unused in your wardrobe right now, register on swapzaar and list it there.

We will help you find fashion lovers who will pay a good price and really value your pre-loved stuff.
We already have brands like Coach, Aldo, Mango, Guess, Zara and CK being uploaded by our members!
We are looking for your support to spread the word!!

Meanwhile here is an infographic on different types of fashion personas who should be on swapzaar
 and why. See if you identify with some traits...

Hope you find it informative and interesting. Please share it with like-minded girls who have the "obese wardrobe" syndrome :-)

Swapzaar user profiling from veena srinath


Swapzaar is still young and we are trying to pivot and find our feet, do let us know your ideas and thoughts on who would love to be on swapzaar and why, and how we can reach those who most need us!

Eco Chic - Guest Blog

This is a guest post by Niki Whittle, owner of Niki Whittle Image and Style Consulting Services, Bristol, UK. You can find her on Twitter at @nikiwhittle. The original post appeared on her blog: http://hipshapesandbristolfashion.blogspot.in. To know more about Niki, read our interview with her. She was also recently on our twitter chat party we hosted @beluxedfashion, where she was a panelist and gave style tips and discussed June Fashion: Must Dos Must Haves. Check it out on this link


My recent post about changing our shopping habits focused on encouraging you to make the most of the clothes you already have, to make informed decisions when making new purchases and to spend the maximum you can on one great quality item rather than two or three of lesser quality. I also wrote about how to pull together a capsule collection of clothes, but what I haven't mentioned, is shopping ethically.

One of my readers made a valid point saying that spending more for an item of clothing doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’s not been produced at minimum cost to be sold for maximum profit, and asked me if I could point her towards some ethical fashion retailers.

Now before I continue, I feel that I need to be open with you; I have to admit that I rarely seek to purchase clothes that are ethical or eco friendly and I don’t really know much about this area. I shop the high-street all the time, both for my clients and myself, as it’s the perfect place to source great items without having to stretch your budget beyond your means. But at the same time, this doesn’t mean that I don’t shop responsibly. I shop responsibly by making sure that I love the items I buy, that they fit well, are versatile, slot seamlessly into my wardrobe and will be worn again and again.

But yes, I know there is more that I can do and I couldn’t ignore your requests for more information, so after some lengthy research I’ve pulled together this post for you. It lists some great online resources where you can find out more about ethical fashion, along with a list of ethical, eco friendly and sustainable fashion retailers that are producing some great collections and my favourite ethical fashion blogs. I’ve even picked out my favourite pieces to prove to you that eco chic really is chic…because let’s be honest, I can’t be the only person guilty of thinking ethical fashion is all hippy and hemp?

Resources (links)
Great tips for how to wear vintage from A Pair and a Spare
Find out the ethical and environmental ratings of our high street retailers here
Great eco magazines:Green my style and eco chic magazine
A fantastic site for inspiration on re-working old outfits and keeping clothing waste out of landfill sites: Redress
Estethica is founded by the British fashion council and showcases ‘the growing movement of cutting edge designers committed to working eco sustainably’

Retailers
Ethica
Angel Jackson
Fashion Conscience
Izzy Lane
People Tree
Style Is
Howies
Lost Property Of London
Beautiful Soul
Yoox
Maiyet
Stewart Brown
Beyond Skin
Fair and True
Aymo (Bristol Based)
Charlie Boots (Bristol based)
Marks and Spencer are launching their ‘Best of British’ collection featuring gorgeous heritage fabrics all manufactured in the UK. It marks the beginning of a 3-year partnership with the British Fashion Council "which will see the retailer working with the BFC to celebrate British fashion, home-grown talent and sustainability". The collection isn't available in store until the end of July but here's a peek of what to look forward to...




. Best of British Cream Cable Knitted Jumper GBP 129.00, Dark Pink Herringbone Skirt GBP 89.00. / 2. Chelsea Boot GBP 185, Black White & Pink Check Wool Cocoon Coat GBP 299.00. / 3. Black Tailored Suit Jacket GBP 199.00, Black Tailored Turn Up Trouser GBP 129.00, Black Brogues GBP 165.00. / 4.Long Ivory Deep V Wool Coat GBP 299.00, Grey Tailored Trouser GBP 129.00.


Fashion blogs

Ethical Fashion Blog


Eco Fabulous


Very Nice Threads


The Good Wardrobe


Oxfam Fashion Blog

And what about my favourite eco pieces? Well, there were so many to choose from, but here are my top picks...









Of course, there are other ways to make responsible style choices such as reworking old designs...






1. www.apairandasparediy.com / 2. www.trashtocouture.com / 3.www.theforgestyle.blogspot.in / 4.www.henryhappened.com


...buying second hand from charity shops or vintage boutiques, hosting swishing parties or even hiring a wow dress for your special occasion. All these things keep clothing waste out of landfill sites but not only that, they also give you something unique to wear – win win!

So you see there are endless ways to make a difference. So what will you do?

Fashion from the Streets of Bali

So, I went on this short vacation to Bali and wanted to capture it’s entire culture, tourism, history, food on camera - like every holiday goer... but this is not a travelogue so I should get to the part where I thought it would be fun to get a look into what the fashionable are wearing on holidays to Bali and afcourse what the balinese beauties wear - for work or leisure...

Naturally, I shopped there as well and thought I should share my delight in the bargains I got from Bali...

First of all, Bali is great for a lovely beach holiday... white sands, clear waters, beautiful sunrises and sunsets (depending on which side of the island you are...) so everyone is in gorgeous beachware... what I found most interesting apart from the sarongs, loose cover-ups and colourful prints - was ‘the sarres’ - a very practical and clearly ingenious beach-wrap-sarong with 2 arm loops that make it perfect and fashionable. Must have one on my next trip to a sunny seaside...

http://www.saress.com/shop/saress_sundown-4/

Then there is this fantastic blend of the western and oriental that Bali is famous for - afcourse it’s a nearly 100% Hindu state with well preserved culture that dates back centuries. They definitely keep it alive as it’s the mystery of Bali that drives thousands to its temples, beaches and cultural centres, year after year.

The ladies wear a beautiful silk and brocade pencil skirt with modest jacket style top - lots of bright colours and bold motifs - truly oriental chic...

Always my favourite - the shoes - like anywhere else in Asia - large heeled clogs and colourful strappy sandals were the order of the day...  (i got me one...)

The eyes saw more than the camera remembered to capture - but I will be better prepared for my next street fashion blog on my next exotic vacation... 

About Beluxed Fashion

Conceptualised by 3 batch-mates in 2011, Beluxed Fashion is an online luxury fashion rental service that aims to bring an extended wardrobe to its members through leased access to the world’s most iconic luxury fashion brands.

Beluxed believes that luxury is not about ownership and flaunting expensive labels but about refinement and appreciating perfection in design and quality. Therefore, our philosophy is inclusive luxury for the practical fashionista.

Coming soon to India, Beluxed Fashion services will be available on a pan India basis through online subscription.

To stay updated and enter exciting contests please join our community on facebook/beluxedfashion

Contest Results!

Hi everyone,

The "Swapping is the new Shopping" Contest is now closed and Roxanne is the Winner.
Congratulations to her !

Roxanne do mail us your postal address and number so we can send across your cool gift, we hope you love it. Don't forget to style it for us and post your pictures on facebook/beluxedfashion.

Roxanne is the winner of our "Swapping is the new Shopping" Contest.

About Beluxed Fashion

Conceptualised by 3 batch-mates in 2011, Beluxed Fashion is an online luxury fashion rental service that aims to bring an extended wardrobe to its members through leased access to the world’s most iconic luxury fashion brands.

Beluxed believes that luxury is not about ownership and flaunting expensive labels but about refinement and appreciating perfection in design and quality. Therefore, our philosophy is inclusive luxury for the practical fashionista.

Coming soon to India, Beluxed Fashion services will be available on a pan India basis through online subscription.

To stay updated and enter exciting contests please join our community on facebook/beluxedfashion

Swapping is the new shopping! (Contest now Closed)

We all love to shop but at times, our wallet doesn't love it so much. You may want to pick up that gorgeous dress or those killer heels despite the astronomical price but how often will you really wear those things? Thrice, maybe four times? After which that once loved piece of clothing will probably sit at the back of your closet gathering dust. 

Well, there is a solution to this - swapping. We all know about renting but what about swapping? How does that work? Let us break it down for you.

Websites like Threadflip allow you to put up clothing and accessories that you no longer use and exchange them for something new - something that someone else no longer uses! 

Another website that offers a similar service is Swapstyle.

So how does it work? 

All you have to do is take photos of the items you want to swap and put them up on the website - people can then browse through your collection of unwanted items and if they see something they like, you can swap that item with them for something new from their closet!

Here is where we come in - Swapzaar is going to give Indian customers a chance to do the same thing. This website will be the first of it's kind in India - the concept is the same, the only difference is that this is made especially for you guys so you don't have to go through the hassel of international shipping (and the costs that come with it!).

We are going to be launching our website soon so keep an eye out for us and get ready to swap till you drop! 

In the meanwhile, we have a really exciting contest for you to take part in - all you have to do is leave comment telling us what you think about this idea and you could win amazing gifts from Zara, Mango, Accessorize, and other cool store. You can either leave a comment here or visit our facebook page and leave us comment there - don't forget to like us while you're at it. 

x

About Beluxed Fashion

Conceptualised by 3 batch-mates in 2011, Beluxed Fashion is an online luxury fashion rental service that aims to bring an extended wardrobe to its members through leased access to the world’s most iconic luxury fashion brands.

Beluxed believes that luxury is not about ownership and flaunting expensive labels but about refinement and appreciating perfection in design and quality. Therefore, our philosophy is inclusive luxury for the practical fashionista.

Coming soon to India, Beluxed Fashion services will be available on a pan India basis through online subscription.

To stay updated and enter exciting contests please join our community on facebook/beluxedfashion